Please post on your choice reading in this category. Remember, you are reading like a media specialist, so it is not about your personal likes and dislikes. Include in your post:
No plot summaries and no spoilers please. Failure to follow that rule will result in revocation of your authoring rights, guaranteed!!
a. Audience for whom the book is written
b. Audience to whom it will appeal (might differ from a.)
c. Particular strengths of the book
d. Particular weaknesses of the book
e. Any special considerations (artwork, curriculum links, community values, beliefs espoused, etc)
f. And, in the School Library Journal’s format: Your verdict, supported with details
No plot summaries and no spoilers please. Failure to follow that rule will result in revocation of your authoring rights, guaranteed!!
Just Mercy: A True Story of the Fight for Justice by Bryan Stevenson
ReplyDeleteAudience: This is a memoir by attorney Bryan Stevenson. It is about Mr. Stevenson’s experiences as a lawyer representing death row prisoners and the work of his non-profit, the Equal Justice Initiative. It is an adaptation of an adult book, intended for seventh graders and up.
Appeal: Students interested in current events, the impact of mass incarceration in the United States, and students that are interested in true stories about people making a difference for others.
Strengths: It is a compelling story that helps readers understand how poverty and race play a role in our country’s mass incarceration issue. Mr. Stevenson is an inspiring figure for young people that are interested in social issues and making a difference.
Weaknesses: It can be difficult to read. There is a lot of information here and there are also descriptions of abuse, mistreatment and trauma.
Special Considerations: movie and documentary available to supplement reading. The content will lead to rich classroom discussions
Verdict: A must have for every middle and high school collection.
Favorite Quote: “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done”
This sounds like a compelling story in both of its formats.
DeleteStamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
ReplyDeletea. Audience for whom the book is written: gr 7 and up
b. Audience to whom it will appeal: gr 7 and up
c. Particular strengths of the book: This is not your average history book, Reynolds beautiful writing style shines through. The books hits 3 of the 4 "Doorways": story, characters, and language. The book is visually dynamic: Reynolds plays with text features. As he said in an interview I watched: Kids are stimulated constantly in our society, and since this book covers some heavy history of racism and antiracism, he felt the need to create a stimulating look on the page.
d. Particular weaknesses of the book: The history is HEAVY. Some students might pick this up to read on their own, but I think it is better suited to classroom curriculum and book clubs where discussion will follow. It's too rich NOT to talk about it.
e. Any special considerations: Mark my words, awards will rain down on this title!
f. Verdict: RUN out and buy several copies of this book, kids and adults will want to read it. Will leave a lasting impact on readers.
That has been my experience with Jason Reynolds: beautiful writing with heavy content.
DeleteThis book is in my quarantine reading stack. I'm excited to read it!
DeleteFor non-fiction, I read two from the class list, Sachiko: a Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story and Mindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused Mind. I chose to blog about Mindfulness and Meditation.
ReplyDeleteMindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused Mind, by Whitney Stuart
Audience. According to the CIP information, the audience for this book is high school students—grades 9-12, ages 14-18.
Appeal. The appeal may be slightly younger than the intended audience. Anyone who is interested in starting a mindful meditation practice could use this as a primer, even though the examples provided are intended for high school readers. Teachers could easily adapt it for classroom use.
Strengths. The author begins with a personal anecdote about how she started practicing yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. The origins of meditation and some more contemporary expert practitioners research is included as well as beginner terms and suggested practices to start a meditation practice. The importance of the breath and mindful breathing is emphasized. And readers learn that, while mindfulness is not a religion or medical treatment, it can afford many benefits. The book includes many helpful sections including the power of thoughts, observing emotions, distress versus eustress, body scans, social media, mobile device use, mindful eating, sleep hygiene, and happiness. There are many guided meditation practices throughout the book that readers could practice immediately alone, with a partner, or record and practice repeatedly.
Weaknesses. Few come to mind. The book does a decent job of relating the anxieties of life and school to the audience and showing how meditation may help; even so, some of the examples may seem trite to the high school audience.
Special considerations. As a quality non-fiction resource, the book contains source notes, a glossary, a selected bibliography, suggestions for further information, and an alphabetical index. Some illustrations are included.
Verdict: In a time of great uncertainty, like a global pandemic, we can provide students with a tool to help with curbing anxiety and negative thoughts and this is it.
--Kendrick Davies, Library Media Specialist Candidate, Earle Brown Elementary STEAM, MN.
I believe mindfulness is a timely topic. So many books are geared towards adults; it was nice to see a resource for teens.
DeleteWe Should Hangout Sometime by Josh Sundquist
ReplyDeletea. This is for grades 9 and up.
b. I think the high school media center would be best for this book.
c. I like how the book is broken down into sections with background information on the girl he is talking about, a hypothesis on why it did not work out and then an investigation where he tried to meet up with the girl again. It is interesting and humorous way to hear Sundquist’s story. I think that high schoolers will relate to this and its overall theme of dating.
d. The only weakness I can think of is students not knowing who he is so they might not choose to pick up his memoir.
e. The novel includes graphs and charts which I think really add to it. I think it is a book anyone in high school or older can relate to.
f. This is a great novel for the high school media center. It could be recommended for anyone who wants to read a laugh out loud memoir on the awkwardness of growing up.
I found Josh a while ago on YouTube and thought he was so relatable, especially with his phrase, "We should hang out sometime." Did he talk about the loss of his leg and the finding of his solemate? Someone who also needs to wear one shoe of his same size, but the opposite foot?
DeleteThe Boy That Harnessed the Wind
ReplyDeleteWilliam Kamkwamba and Brian Mealer
a. The young readers edition is recommended for ages 8-10.
b. This book would appeal to anyone 8 and older.
c. Strengths - This story shows how difficult the main character’s life was growing up in a poor village during a time of famine. With this childhood background, the reader can appreciate how amazing his mind and drive are to research and create this windmill that truly changed the lives of those in his community.
d. Weaknesses - The end was a little rushed, and I would have liked to have learned more about his journey after the windmill was made. I would also like to know more about how both authors split up the work for this book.
e. Special Considerations - The pictures in the book are valuable to seeing what his windmill looked like. The audiobook narrated by Korey Jackson would be another way to experience this story. The TED talk he gives is available on youtube and there is a Netflix movie for people to watch.
Verdict - The young readers edition would be an excellent choice for elementary and middle school libraries where William’s story would be a window into a different life in Africa as well as an inspiring story of how one person can change the world. I would check into the original version for high school libraries.
Have you seen the Netflix movie? It looks really good!
DeleteI love this too! A 4th grade teacher that I work with had her students read it, watch the movie, and then make models of the windmills. We displayed the models in the media center with the books.
DeleteMy Family Divided by Diane Guerrero
ReplyDeletea. This book is recommended for grades 6-8.
b. This book would appeal to grades 6-8. Diane Guerrero is an actress, so readers may be drawn to her books if they know her for her acting. It would also appeal to students who are interested in immigration and deportation narratives.
c. Strengths: Diane’s story is one that is very relevant to the current immigration crisis in the United States. The book also does a good job of telling her story beyond her immigration status. Diane’s life story is told holistically, talking about her schooling, friendships, journey as an actor, and the story of her family’s deportation.
d. Weaknesses: The story is hard to follow. It is told mostly in chronological order but often jumps back and forth between events happening at home, at school, and in Columbia with no transition, leaving the reader struggling to figure out what’s going on. The narrative takes place mainly in the 90s and early 2000s, and relies heavily on slang words and phrases from the era, but the slang is inconsistent, frequently jumping forward to more modern slang. There is a self-harm harm narrative in the book that is left feeling unfinished and not fully addressed.
e. Special Considerations: This book would tie well in language arts or social studies units that are focusing on immigration stories or personal narratives.
f. Verdict: This book is hard to follow and may not grab young readers, look elsewhere for a stronger immigration or deportation narrative.
Kitchen Science Lab for Kids: Edible Edition by Liz Lee Heinecke
ReplyDeletea. Audience: This book is recommended for students in grades 3 through 8.
b. Appeal: This book would appeal to kids who what to make and create with food, and then get to eat what they have created. This book would also appeal to adults with kids, especially during a quarantine, in order to have projects that turn into meals and snacks, with their children learning something along the way.
c. Strengths: This is a great starter cookbook for kids. Each recipe features at least 5 images, a difficulty rating for how challenging it will be, and allergy alerts. From a STEAM perspective, this book checks many boxes, as there is math and science on every page.
d. Weaknesses: The book may not appeal to older students who may need more of a challenge. It is also assumed that you may have a lot of equipment in your home that you may not actually have, like a blender or a mixer.
e. Considerations: Unlike other books, if you want to use this book to its fullest, it is going to cost you money for tools and ingredients that you may not have just laying around.
f. Verdict: This book is a fantastic entry level cookbook, highlighting STEAM principles, and teaching young people that cooking is fun to do. Getting your hands messy and dirty, and reaping the rewards and benefits is always a good lesson to teach and to learn. This book excels in this area. I would recommend this book for elementary and middle school libraries.